New ads for Apple TV show how compelling it isn't

Technically Incorrect offers a slightly twisted take on the tech that's taken over our lives.

Is it exciting? Not terribly.

Apple; YouTube screenshot by Chris Matyszczyk/CNET

I fear that quite a few people who hear "Apple TV" still imagine a vast screen with minimalist design, operated by your iPhone.

Instead, Apple TV is a little box that always seems as if it could, but rarely actually does.

The latest edition of Apple TV impressed CNET's expert reviewer David Katzmaier . He called it "polished." However, he added: "Apple TV costs more than similar devices like the Roku, Amazon Fire TV and Chromecast for basically the same core function."

In essence, then, do you really need Apple TV? The answer may well be "no," and here are some ads to prove it.

Apple released five Tuesday, meant to excite you about its streaming offering. However, when you look at them, they might be for so many services.

They merely introduce five things you can get with your Apple TV. You can, of course, get them by other means.

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Apple is currently in several business arenas where its offering isn't a must. There's Apple Music in a world where many are perfectly happy with Spotify. There's the Apple Watch, where many still can't see the point.

For some time, rumors have floated of a true breakthrough in the Apple TV offering, yet entertainment remains fragmented and TV still holds quite some sway.

The mere fact that something is from Apple doesn't guarantee immediate shivering of the sinuses or extreme insistence on uptake.

Apple believes the future lies in apps such as those featured here. Indeed, these ads end in a display of the many apps that now appear on this TV service.